Growing
older is hard to prepare for. You have hopes of what your future will look
like: staying active with friends, being financially secure, discovering new
experiences, but so often something appears out of the clear skies and rains on
your parade.
When
I ask friends at the Center how they handle the uncertainties of life, the most
common answer I hear is a “positive attitude” - making the best of whatever happens.
But what can you do to develop and maintain a positive attitude?
I
found this INC. magazine article on
the Internet, “8 Ways to Improve Your Attitude” by Geoffrey James. The readers
of INC. magazine are go-getter
entrepreneurial types, but these suggestions can also apply to us “go-getter”
older types. How many of these qualities do you possess?
1.
Always act with a purpose.
2. Stretch yourself past your limits every day.
3. Take action without expecting results.
4. Use setbacks to improve your skills.
5. Seek out those who share your positive attitude.
6. Don't take yourself so seriously.
7. Forgive the limitations of others.
8. Say "thank you" more frequently.
2. Stretch yourself past your limits every day.
3. Take action without expecting results.
4. Use setbacks to improve your skills.
5. Seek out those who share your positive attitude.
6. Don't take yourself so seriously.
7. Forgive the limitations of others.
8. Say "thank you" more frequently.
Even
following these suggestions, keeping a positive attitude can still be
challenging. There may be days you feel like standing up and fighting back the
hands of time from throwing you down the stairs. But there may be other days
when you feel angry knowing you are no longer physically or mentally who we
once were; or days when you feel resigned believing there isn’t anything you
can do to change your life’s direction; or days when the chemo treatment just
makes you feel so crappy you just want to stay in bed.
It
takes effort to keep your spirits up, finding the best in each day and maintaining
a positive attitude. But for those days when it is a struggle to do your best,
this prayer might sound familiar.
“So
far today, God, I have done alright. I haven’t gossiped, lost my temper,
haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty selfish, over-indulgent, or told anyone to
mind their own business and to stay out of mine. I’m really glad about that.
But in a few minutes, I’m going to get out of bed and from them on I’m probably
going to need a lot more help.”
Thanks
to everyone who made the Center’s Fundraiser Dinner and Auction a financial
success: our sponsors – The Springs at Mill Creek, Ray Schulten’s Motors and
Cousins Restaurant; The Pines Winery; all the wonderful volunteers including
the Red Hat Ladies and Boy Scout Troop #396; the night’s master auctioneer and
entertainer - Rocky Webb; and especially Joan Silver, Vicki Sallee, Nancy
Sallee and Jana Webb who planned and organized the event. And as promised we raffled
off the Chicken Coop and the lucky winner was Matt Eby.
The
snow forced us to postpone this class last month, but we’ll try again on Wednesday,
March 6th at 1:00 when Lucille Torgerson and Widge Johnson will be
presenting their one-hour class, “As I Was Saying – Writing Your Life Story for
Your Family, Friends and Yourself”. If you ever wanted to write your life
experiences to share with others, this will be a great place to start.
The
title of the book written by Truman Capote that detailed the 1959 murders of
four members of the Herbert Clutter family in a small farming community in
Kansas was In Cold Blood. I received
correct answers from Sue Ortega, Ruth Radcliffe, Barbara Caldwell, Jerry
Phillips, Lana Tepfer, Carol Earl, Cheri Brent and Lee Kaseberg - this week’s
winner of a free quilt raffle ticket. And last week I missed Ruth Radcliffe.
The irreverent
World War II novel by Joseph Heller first published in 1961 follows the life of
Captain John Yossarian, a U.S. Army Air Forces B-25 bombardier. For this week’s “Remember When” question, what
was the title of this book that became a cult classic, especially among the
Vietnam War generation, and the title has become a part of our modern vocabulary
describing a “no-win” situation. Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com,
leave a message at 541-296-4788 or return your answer on the back of the poster
for the film adaption released in 1970.
Well,
it’s been another week waiting for the signs of spring to rise out of the
winter snow. Until we meet again, what’s been doesn’t necessarily mean what
will be.
.
“The
thing that’s important to know is that you never know. You’re always sort of
feeling your way.” Diana Arbus, Photographer